Singapore's sports star Majid Ariff dies at 80: A tribute to the Asian football legend

The funeral ceremony will be held at the Pusara Aman mosque on Sunday afternoon.

Majid Ariff, one of the gems from Singapore's football world, has passed away on Sunday morning (4 February) at the age of 80, after a long battle with ailments.

The Singaporean football legend, who was suffering from pneumonia, took his last breath at his daughter's house in Tampines at around 2:45 am today. The funeral ceremony will take place at the Pusara Aman mosque in the afternoon before the burial rituals.

Majid Ariff, who has three children and 10 grandchildren, had a stroke on 23 December 2017, which affected one part of his brain. In January 2018 his health condition became worse.

The former footballer made his debut for his country in 1958 Asian games. In 1965, just eight days before Singapore's independence, Majid ensured a 3-1 comeback win over the Malaysian club Selangor in the Malaya Cup final. He dribbled past three Selangor players to score the equaliser. Majid was one of the two footballers who scored in final 17 minutes.

He was the only Singaporean footballer, who was picked up for Asian All-Stars team in 1966 and showed his world-class skills in an exhibition match against Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday.

In the same year, Majid played a major role in the football tournament of 1966 Bangkok Asian Games, which led Singapore to finish in the fourth position, which is still Singapore's best results.

Even in 1967, he performed against the England based club Leicester City.

Later in 1970, he was sidelined because of a career-threatening knee injury, which was received during Malaysia Cup match against Kelantan. He took retirement from his glittering football career after the unfortunate incident.

Majid also became a coach of the former national striker Fandi Ahmad, who praised the legend as 'the most skilful player our country has ever produced'.

When Majid, along with Fandi became the only Singaporean footballers among 116 top Asian players to be nominated for Asia's Footballer of the Century award in 1998, it was another silver feather on his cap.

After his death, a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, Amrin Amin shared a post on Facebook, stating him as "the finest striker of his generation." The MP also said that he went to meet Majid's daughter Watty Majidon Sunday morning.

Amrin Amin/ Facebook

In another Facebook post, PAP Tampines Changkat also shared their deepest condolence.